


When the Night Goes Quiet (Day Six - Taking Care of A Sick Partner)

by swampslip



Series: Flufftober 2020 [6]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Bickering, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Sick Fic, Sick John, roughly like... 80s? idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:33:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27117545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swampslip/pseuds/swampslip
Summary: “Should stay inside,” John mumbles and moves his face to tuck more firmly into Arthur’s neck, “Ain’t that what they do in movies?”
Relationships: John Marston/Arthur Morgan
Series: Flufftober 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950073
Comments: 5
Kudos: 44





	When the Night Goes Quiet (Day Six - Taking Care of A Sick Partner)

**Author's Note:**

> Title from [Queen of The Night by Hey Violet](https://open.spotify.com/track/2WDffjRjjtxHcHCHkLpB5p?si=eT_bfb2URW6e5uUDYO8pjw) song's a bit like... pop-y but the vibe y'know

“You ain’t never gonna learn, huh?” 

John grumbles a response that Arthur can’t quite understand, his brows furrowing as he lowers John onto the couch. 

They’d been on the outskirts of the property most of the day, routine fence maintenance.

And John, as John often does, refused to wear a hat, despite the dropping temperatures of the fast approaching Autumn. 

Arthur hadn’t been all that surprised when John had swayed forward sharply, forced Arthur to catch him, feel his forehead and roll his eyes at the fever. 

Now John’s hazily looking up at him, shivering on the couch and weakly tugging at Arthur’s sleeve. 

“Cold,” John whispers.

“Yeah, I know,” Arthur lightly shakes his wrist to try and free his hand, but John’s icy fingers cling on, “C’mon, let go, I’ll go get a couple blankets.”

“No,” John frowns and tugs harder, “Jus’ stay.”

“… Stay?”

“Lay down.”

“Oh,” Arthur whispers and glances over at the clock on the wall before sighing, carefully maneuvering John so he can lay with the younger pinned between himself and the back of the couch. 

John presses against him immediately, cuddling close to the older man and shoving his arms inside Arthur’s jacket, wrapping himself around Arthur.

“You’re so stupid,” Arthur mutters but his words are contrasted by his arms cradling John close and his cheek resting on top of the younger’s head. 

“Sorry.”

“S’fine,” Arthur moves his hand up and down John’s back, slowly dragging his palm over the chilled wool until it warms.

“S’too cold.”

“It ain’t that cold if you’re wearin’ the right gear.”

“Should stay inside,” John mumbles and moves his face to tuck more firmly into Arthur’s neck, “Ain’t that what they do in movies?”

“What’re you on about?”

“Just… When the weather’s gone to shit, they stay inside, cookin’ warm food,” John says quietly, “Spendin’ time with eachother.”

Arthur thinks about it for a minute then huffs a soft laugh. 

“Well they must not have jobs in those movies.”

“That fence is fine and you know it,” John grumbles, “Never gon’ just topple over and let the horses loose.”

“’Course not,” Arthur coos, “Cause we go out and keep it up to code.”

John mutters curses against Arthur’s collarbone and shoves his cold hands under the older man’s shirt in retaliation. 

Arthur gasps and untangles them, standing up from the couch despite John’s protesting. 

“Nope,” Arthur says sternly, “You betrayed me, I ain’t cuddlin’ with you any more.”

John lets his lower lip wobble and gives his best puppy dog eyes up towards the older man. 

Arthur squints at him, faltering, then huffs loudly and marches out of the living room, over to the linen closet, coming back with a stack of folded blankets. 

He tosses the lightest over John’s head, making the younger splutter and protest weakly, then Arthur carefully unfolds and tucks each blanket around John, shoving one under the younger’s head. 

“Cozy?”

“Yeah,” John says hoarsely, looking over at the woodstove and its warm light, “Sorry.”

“Said it’s fine,” Arthur mutters and feels John’s forehead again, letting the backs of his fingers linger there. 

John looks up at him then closes his eyes with a weak hum. 

“… They eat soup in those movies?” Arthur whispers. 

John peeks open one eye to look at Arthur questioningly, then nods. 

“Alright,” Arthur sighs and brushes John’s hair back, “I’ll make some damn soup.”

John watches the older man turn and head towards the kitchen before covering his face and hiding his tired smile.


End file.
